Worst beverage in America

The visual proof is horrifying. That simple can of Arizona Rx Energy drink sports a whopping 345 calories with 83 grams of sugar, equivalent to six — count ’em, six — cinnamon Pop-Tarts.

These and many other sobering images are packed, like calories in a Cheesecake Factory smoothie, in “Drink This, Not That! Sip Your Way to a Flat Belly!” (Rodale Books, $19.99), which should serve as a wake-up call to guys who are casually tossing back popular drinks loaded with sugar.

The Men’s Health magazine editors responsible for the “Eat This, Not That” series of books have now trained their calorie-counting, sugar-busting eyes on everyday drinks that men might overlook in their daily tabulation of consumption. Liquid calories, according to authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, now account for more than 20 percent of our daily caloric intake.

Guys wanting to slim down should start first by watching what they drink, everything from innocent-looking sports waters and coffee drinks to beer and cocktails.

We talked to Goulding about the dangers of liquid calories.

QUESTION: Do guys tend to grab beverages and not consider their calories?

ANSWER: In general, a guy is more likely to grab an energy drink, maybe a 16-ounce Rockstar, and not think twice. But 260 calories later, you’re on a sugar crash. Women are more astute label readers. Men — and this is a generalization — are more set up for an instinctual grab. You’re at a coffee shop and grab a cappuccino; you’re at a convenience store and grab an energy water.

QUESTION: So how does a guy tame this instinct?

ANSWER: All the buzzwords are on the front (of the can or bottle). The more chatter there is on front, the less likely it is to be good for you. The more claims there are, the most skeptical you should be. So start from the back. The back label (with nutritional information) is where you should go first.

QUESTION: The overall message here is that drinks are the fastest way to blow up a waistline?

ANSWER: You could eat carrots all day long, but if you’re not watching what you’re drinking, you’ll still gain weight. Liquid calories are the secret saboteur of the waistline. They’re the dominant force of weight gain in the country.

QUESTION: These books are like wake-up calls for your health.

ANSWER: You’re not going to be surprised to know a milkshake is bad for you. You know that. But this book will show you just how bad for you it is. You might think twice the next time you order.

QUESTION: So what should we be drinking?

ANSWER: If you wanted to publish a seven-word book, it would be this: “Drink Water, Lots of It, Mostly Tap.” That’s what you should really be doing. Unfortunately our liquid realities are much more complex than that. It used to be water, milk, juice, beer and wine. Now you have energy drinks, coffee drinks, functional beverages. It’s hard to wade through all that. We’re not saying give up on all that stuff. What we’re going to show you is how to find the best, low-calorie version.